Cooking Thursday

Good Morning everyone :)

I hope you're all having a fantastic week.  Mine has been quite busy, but a very good exciting one too since after many years, my husband bought me a new vehicle and it's a BEAUTY :)  I'll have to show you pictures later.

I can't wait to slow down and be able to post more, thing is, we're at the end of the school year and are finishing it up this week, so we're on the go go go go.  Feels good to see the end in sight though :)

On to today's recipe:

If you want to use the picture, just click here for the original.

Today's recipe is one which you have to try. Homemade Cheese Crackers, and I tell you, they are so much better than the stuff you buy at the store.

 

Homemade Cheese Crackers

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (or substitute 1 tablespoon unsalted butter)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons ice water

Combine the cheese, butter, shortening and salt in a food processor or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Add the flour and pulse or mix on low speed until the mixture is combined.
Add the ice water slowly with the mixer or food processor running.
You may need to add a few more drops of water, but go slowly so you don’t overdo it. Gather up the dough and pat it into three disc shapes. Don’t knead it or mess with it too much.

Wrap the discs tightly in waxed paper or parchment and refrigerate for at least an hour, or until you’re ready to bake the crackers. The dough can be refrigerated like this for up to 5 days.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Let the dough sit out at room temperature for about 20 minutes, and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your favorite baking sheet. Gently begin to roll the dough out directly on the parchment paper. At first it may seem a little unyielding, …but just take your time and press the cracks back together as you go.

Keep persevering, and roll the dough quite thin, to a thickness of about 1/8 inch.

Now it’s time for the fun part! Cut the crackers into 1 inch squares. You can use a pizza cutter, a sharp knife, or a fancy pastry cutter to do this.

Poke a hole in the center of each cracker with a skewer. Along with being decorative, the hole allows the steam to escape which helps your crackers bake up nice and crisp.

Use a sharp spatula to separate the crackers gently on the parchment paper and transfer the whole paper (scraps, too – perfect snacks for the chef!) to a baking sheet. Bake the crackers for about 12 to 13 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. (Depending on how your oven cooks, your baking time may be more or less so watch the first batch carefully.)

Cool the whole sheet on a wire baking rack and repeat with the remaining dough. You can serve the crackers warm, or cool them completely and store them in a container with a tight fitting lid. This recipe makes about 8 dozen crackers.